Reclining chair



Dec. 22, 1953 A. J. BELIS'LE RECLINING CHAIR Filed April 23, 1952 Patented Dec. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECLIN'ING CHAIR Adelard J, Belisle, South Hadley Falls, Mass, as-

signor to The Berkline Corporation, Chicopee Falls, Mass, a corporation of Tennessee Application April 23, 1952, Serial No. 283,811

Claims- (Cl. 155%105) This. invention relates to improvements in chairs and is. directed more particularly .to improvements, in chairs having a seat and back which are tiltable relative to a frame.

A principal object of the invention is the pro- Vision of a chair wherein a seat and back are readily tiltable from sitting to reclining positions relative to a frame by the occupant of the chair and a leg rest is swung and projected forwardly accordingly as the seat and back are so moved to the reclining position.

ccording to the invention, the mechanism for the tilting of the bacl; and seat and operation of the leg rest is simple in form and eificient in operation making it possible to produce thechair economically and not requiring any effort on the part of the occupant of the chair to move the seat and back between upright. and reclining positions and simultaneously swinging and pro.- jecting the leg rest.

According to special features of the invention, the n'lechanism for eifecting relative movements of the chair parts is so constructed and arranged as to be substantially concealed so. as to not detract from the appearance of the chair and is constructed and arranged to occupy small space at the forward part of the chair thusavoid-i ing parts extending beneath the seat, and rearwardly thereof.

Chairs of the type to which the invention re- In accordance with the invention, the mechanism is of novel form and so associated with the chair parts that when the frame, combined seat and back and leg rest are upholstered the mechanism is not visible.

All of the above objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my inven-- tion as willbecome more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed outin the claims hereunto annexed and; more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

F g. 1 is a side elevational view of a chair construction embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view at one side of the chair on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is aside elevational View of one of the hinge members of the mechanism shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

Side frames 2 each include similar forward vertical members i and rear vertical members 5 which are secured at lower ends to opposite ends of bottom side rails 13. An intermediate rail l9 has opposite ends connected to the members 4 and 5. Upper connected together members 12 and it secured to upper ends t and 8 provide arm rests it.

The side frames are connected together in spaced relation by transverse members such as a stop 58, and stop 26. There may be other transverse members which have opposite ends secured to elements of the side frames. The transverse members will secure the side frames in such a spaced relation as will provide room for a comfortable seat and back therebetween.

The construction described constitutes a strong and rigid chair frame of elements which will usually be formed from wood secured together in the usual manner as by screws, nails, gluin and the like. The chair frame will be upholstered with suitable padding and covering material so that it is concealed for purposes of appearance as is usual.

A combined seat and back generally designated by 26 includes L-shaped side plates 28, which are secured together in transversely spaced relation by various members such as 38, 32,, i i and a forward strut 36.

There may be other transverse members and the. elements of the seat and back will be formed from wood and secured to the side parts 28 for strength and rigidity. The seat and back will be upholstered by paddin and covering material for v concealing of the structural elements and for the comfort of the occupant.

Side plates 28 of the combined seat and back are connected to the chair frame for movements of the former relative to the latter between the upright position of the seat and back, as shown in Fig. 1, and a reclining position 'rearwardly thereof. Movements of the seat and back from the upright position thereof in the direction of the arrow to reclining position may be accomplished in various ways as by a pivot is or a device such as shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,270,430 of January 20, 1942.

A leg rest generally designated by 46 is provided which comprises secured together opposite side members such as 48 and transverse upper and lower members such as 53 and 52. The elements of the leg rest will be formed from wood and said leg rest will be upholstered by padding and covering.

An elongated hinge member 5 3, as shown in Fig. 1, at each side of the leg rest, have upper ends pivoted at 5% to inner sides of the plates 2%, see Figs. 2 and 3. Primary links 53, one for each of the opposite sides of the chair, are pivoted at til to blocks 62 secured to members i, it and id of the side frames.

Outer ends of links 58 and outer ends of hinge members as are pivotally connected at 64.

The hinge members are provided with inner and outer elongated slots 69 and t8. Secondary links iii are pivoted at one end to the primary links 53, as indicated at E2. Opposite ends of said secondary links iii are pivotally connected to the side members d8 of the leg rest by screws, bolts or the like secured to said members ill. Said pivot members ill extend through the slots 65 of the hinge members E l.

Guide members it which may be screws, bolts or the like fixed to the side members d8 of the leg rest extend through the other slots 88 of the hinge members.

By means of the pivot members M and guide members it carried by the opposite side members id of the leg rest and which extend through the slots 65 and as of the hinge mern -ers the leg rest is slidable relative to the said hinge mom-- bers 54 and towards and away from the seat.

In the sitting position of the seat and back as shown in Fig. l, the leg rest it depends downwardly from the forward end of the seat and be tween the forward members ii of the side frames.

As the occupant of the chair leans baokwardly, the seat and back tilt in the direction of the arrow to reclining position. As the seat tilts upwardly to the reclining position so as to swing the pivotal connections upwardly, the primary links 58 pivotally connected at E5 to the hinge members are swung upwardly to the position of Fig. 3. During said swinging of the primary links, the connections "id of the secondary links Ell with the side members 48 of the leg rest is move the leg rest to the right relative to the hinge members and outwardly of the seat.

The pivotal connections iii sliding in slots $5 of the hinge members hi l bring up against the right hand end of said slots. The outer end of the leg rest is guided for movements relative to the hinge members by guides it in the slots (iii of the hinge members.

With the leg rest mounted for sliding inovemerits relative to the hinge members the leg rest is swung to elevated position and projected outwardly simultaneously with the swinging of the seat and back from sitting to reclining position. Conversely, as the seat and back are swung from reclining to sitting or upright position the leg rest is moved downwardly to a position below the forward end of the seat.

Itwill be noted that the operating mechanisi for the leg rest not only is simple and compact 4 but also is located at the forward part of the chair thereby avoiding parts which extend rearwardly below the seat and adjacent the side frames which interfere with the proper upholstering of the chair.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present enibodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations'as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A chair construction of the reclining type comprising in combination, transversely spaced secured together side frames, a combined seat and back pivoted between said side frames for swinging movements between forward upright sitting and rear reclining positions of an occupant of the chair, a leg rest, and means for movtween said leg rest and members and link connections between forward portions of said frame, said leg rest and said members.

2. A chair construction of the reclining type comprising in combination, transversely spaced secured together side frames, a combined seat and back pivoted between said side frames for swinging movements between forward upright sitting and rear reclining positions of an occupant of the chair, a leg rest, transversely spaced elongated hinge members each having one end pivotally connected to opposite sides of the forward portion of said seat, transversely spaced elongated primary links each having one end pivotally connected to upper forward portions of said side frames, opposite ends of each of said primary links pivotally connected to an opposite end of a hinge member, secondary links having one end pivotally connected to a primary link intermediate opposite ends thereof, and pivotal connections between opposite ends of said secondary links and said leg rest, said hinge members provided with elongated slots slidably re ceiving said pivotal connections for movements of the leg rest relative to said hinge members.

3. A chair construction of the reclining type comprising in combination, transversely spaced secured together side frames, a combined seat and back pivoted between said side frames for swinging movements between forward upright sitting and rear reclining positions of an occupant of the chair, a leg rest, transversely spaced elongated hinge members each having one end pivotally connected to opposite sides of the for ward portion of said seat, transversely spaced elongated primary links each having one end pivotally connected to upper forward portions of said side frames, opposite ends of each of said primary links pivotally connected to an opposite end of'a hinge member, secondary links having one end pivotally connected to a primary link intermediate opposite ends thereof, andpivotal connections between opposite ends of said secondary links and said leg rest, said hinge members provided with elongated slots slidably receiving said pivotal connections for movements of the leg rest relative to said hinge members, guide members carried by said leg rest and said hinge members provided with other elongated slots slidingly receiving said guides for guiding said leg rest in movements relative to said hinge members.

4. A chair construction of the reclining type, transversely spaced secured together side frames, a combined seat and back structure pivoted between said side frames for swinging movements between forward upright sitting and rear reclining positions of an occupant of the chair, a leg rest having inner and outer ends and longitudinal side members extending therebetween, transversely spaced elongated hinge members each having inner and outer ends, first pivotal connections between inner" ends of said hinge members and opposite sides of the forward portion of the seat, transversely spaced elongated primary links having inner and outer ends, second pivotal connections between inner ends of said primary links and forward portions of said side frames, said side members of the leg rest having longitudinal spaced pivot members extending laterally therefrom, said hinge members having relatively spaced elongated slots therealong and slidable on said pivot members for sliding of said foot rest relative to the hinge members between an inner vertical position thereof in sitting position of the seat and a relatively more horizontal and extended position thereof in reclining position of the seat, third pivotal connections between outer ends of said primary links and outer ends of said hinge members for swinging said hinge members between a vertically disposed position in sitting position of the seat and a relatively more horizontal position in reclining position thereof, secondary links each having one end thereof pivotally connected to and intermediate the opposite ends of a primary link and an opposite end swingable on a pivot member of a side member of the leg rest to slide the leg rest to extended position relative to the hinge member as the primary links swing the hinge members to said relatively more horizontal position. a

5. A reclining chair construction of the type wherein a leg rest is simultaneously swung upwardly and projected outwardly and forwardly of a seat as the seat moves from forward sitting to rear reclining position comprising, a frame structure including transversely spaced secured together side frames, a supporting structure including a seat and a back and swingable connections between said structure and side frame for swinging of said structure between forward sitting and rear reclining positions of an occupant of the chair, an elongated leg rest, elongated hinge means having inner and outer ends, first pivotal connections between the inner end of said hinge means and forward portion of the seat for swinging between a vertical position below the forward portion of the seat in sitting position thereof and a relatively more horizontal position forwardly of said seat in reclining position of said seat, elongated primary link means having inner and outer ends, second pivotal connections between inner ends of said primary link means and a forward portion of said frame structure, said leg rest provided with inner and outer longitudinally spaced pivot means, said hinge means provided with longitudinally spaced elongated slots receiving said pivot means for sliding of said leg rest thereon between an inner vertical position in sitting position of the seat and a forward relatively horizontal projected position in reclining position of said seat, third pivotal connections between the outer end of the primary link means and the outer end of said hinge means for swinging of the latter between vertical and relatively horizontal positions thereof, secondary link means having one end pivotally connected to and intermediate inner and outer ends of the primary link means and an opposite end pivotally connected to the inner pivot means of the leg rest whereby to slide the leg rest forwardly rela tive to the hinge means to projected position as the primary link means swings the hinge means from vertical to horizontal position in movement of the seat from sitting to reclining position.

ADELARD J. BELIS LE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,626,069 Beech Apr. 26, 192'"! FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1 3,213 Great Britain 1850 

